The invention relates generally to ball control games, and specifically to games where a player tries to control the travel of individual balls along several predetermined paths by changing the direction of the balls at a junction or cross-roads between paths.
The movement of balls along predetermined paths has been a traditional form of game used in so-called pin-ball machines where, typically, in individual player attemts to change the direction of the ball to direct it to an ultimate destination. Points are scored based on the success of the player in controlling the path of the ball. In a more useful device, the movement of balls along predetermined paths has been incorporated in decorative clocks where the location or directional movement by one ball causes a change of location or a change of movement by another ball.
However, at the present time, there has not been a successful attempt to combine the ball control features in the typical pin-ball machine, with the cause and effect relationship of a plurality of balls as used in a ball-clock. Also, most pin-ball machines do not lend themselves to competitive playing between a plurality of players, in which the activity of one player in directing the path of balls under his control may directly or indirectly effect the ability of a second player to direct the balls under his control along preferred paths.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball control game in which one or more players can exercise some control over the travel of a plurality of balls as they move continuously along predetermined paths, and particularly the transfer of balls from one point to another at junction points where the paths interconnect.
A more specific object is to provide a series of wheels mounted on generally vertical axes, and having ball-carrying pockets around their periphery, and a frame for mounting at least three such wheels in adjacent relationship so that, under certain conditions, upon rotation of the wheels, a ball may be transferred from the peripheral pocket of one wheel to the peripheral pocket of another wheel without stopping the rotation of the wheels.
It is a further object to provide a device having the aforementioned characteristics, which includes at least one manually actuated control gate between two of the adjacent wheels to prevent the transfer of any ball from one wheel to another when such control gate is closed. A related object is to provide at least one junction between adjacent wheels which does not have any manually activated control gate to selectively prevent a ball transfer, whereby a ball will be automatically transferred from the pocket of one wheel to the receiving pocket of an adjacent wheel, unless such receiving pocket is already occupied by another ball.
A further object is to provide a method and apparatus of the aforementioned characteristics, in which two home wheels of one diameter are mounted at opposite ends of a frame, and other differently sized wheels having a different number of carrying pockets are mounted in between the home wheels, with all the wheels in substantially the same horizontal plane, and with adjacent wheels rotating in opposite rotary directions to facilitate the transfer of a ball through a transfer zone between two adjacent wheels. The related object is to provide drive means and a gear train for controlling the rate of rotation of each of the wheels.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on a description of the preferred embodiment recited hereinafter, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows: